Tag Archives: technology

Global Positioning System or GPS is a navigation system. It uses satellites in space put there by the US government starting in 1973. It was originally for military use, but the government allowed civilians to use it in the 1980s. It can map and track anything on Earth with a GPS device.

However, it has some limits. The receivers need to be in a line of sight with at least four satellites to work. Bad weather and loss of power can mess it up. Companies that make and sell GPS devices have to perform GPS simulations regularly to make sure these are accurate.

This last one is important because many people rely on GPS in everyday life. A company that fails to do this will get a bad reputation. Here are three of its most important uses of GPS.

Traveling

The most common use of GPS is in travel. You probably use GPS through a navigation app on your mobile phone, or a device built into your car or boat working as receivers. It works very much like a paper road map, except it is much simpler to use.

It also has added features. It can tell you the shortest or fastest route to where you want to go, and when you are likely to get there. Also, it can also tell you about traffic conditions, accidents, and roadwork. If you are looking for a particular place, you can use GPS to find it for you.

Tracking

GPS tells you the location of a particular receiver. This can be useful in keeping track of property, people, or pets. This is especially useful if you have children, wayward pets, or employees that spend most of their time in the field.

All you need to do is to put a GPS receiver on what or whom you want to track and add its ID to your GPS device. Many businesses use GPS to keep track of inventory.

Health sensing

An important innovation in GPS is its use in wearable health sensors. It monitors the condition and location of people with medical issues. The device detects any sign of trouble and instantly sends a report to medical and emergency personnel.

This can help save their lives. This is especially important for people who live alone or with non-medical caregivers.

GPS has many uses in everyday life. It is very useful for many people. However, its usefulness is dependent on its accuracy. Regular GPS simulation testing is essential to make sure it sends the right information in real time.

With just a few swipes and clicks, the Internet will allow you to do anything you want, from make a purchase to access entertainment. The tool is even more invaluable if you run a business. You can run pretty much any process online, from conducting meetings with partners in different locations to exchanging data on projects. And you can implement such processes through cloud computing.

What is cloud computing?

Companies offering services for cloud computing typically charge you per usage through metered service. Other services allow you to pay according to your needs, which scales up or down as your business demands. Over the years, developers have come up with different categories for cloud services, namely: software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS).

Why is cloud computing vital for your business?

An innovative and relatively new process may seem tricky for a traditional company. Issues like security, access, and cost may prevent you from deploying such a solution. Whether you use public or private cloud services, here are just some of the advantages your business could receive:

You achieve productivity

Cloud computing eliminates some of the tasks that may overburden your employees. With the right service, your IT team can focus on essential duties that help achieve your business goals.

You reduce business risks

Cloud computing services can offer data backup, which allows your organization to continue its operations even amid a disaster.

You ensure data security

Your business can ensure protection for critical data or application development through a sophisticated system.

The other advantages of cloud computing are the potential to cut costs (because you don’t have to spend for hardware and software) and the ability to gain speed (because it delivers service on demand) for your processes. With the right provider of cloud computing services, your business can grow and compete in any market.

The big boom in data, voice, and streaming services has telecommunication companies exhausting all means to render quality service. Similar to the fast evolution of technology, most are now pressured to find ways of addressing the demand.

To date, fibre optics are considered the go-to medium for fast and efficient transmission of voice and data services. But with new technology and use of bigger data, telecommunication companies will need to prepare for something bigger.

Satellite services secretly lifting off

In various parts of the globe, companies have already started plotting the seeds with enterprise-grade satellite services. In Australia, one such provider has already capped a 10-year contract for the delivery of the service to NBN.

NBN already has two Sky Muster satellites, launched in October 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Companies collaborate for enhanced connectivity

Delivering quality connections will need a concerted effort from multiple groups from vast regions of the globe. A reliable connection is expected to suffer from congestion at some point in time, and such is a forecast that most are now trying to work on.

In Cuba, a national telecommunications operator has already placed its foot forward after signing a deal with SES Networks for satellite services. The latter will make use of the company’s existing terrestrial infrastructure that utilises high-performance fibre-like medium orbit (MEO) capacity with the intent of enhancing connectivity among end users.

Once ironed out, the result is the delivery of fast and high-performing Internet at all times using an innovative satellite system. With the unique network capabilities, the eventual winners here are the users who require stable and fast connections for media entertainment, Internet browsing, and other content that have become a staple in the modern age.

Other regions are carefully studying the same shift, a sensitive move that requires plenty of elements to consider. This will include the cost tied up to delivering the service, which competitors are likewise studying.

Though most are content with their current service plans, the fact is that the level of service needs to be ready for eventual upgrades. With technology and new discoveries upping their requirements, higher bandwidths to maintain quality service is expected to ramp up in the coming years.

Have you heard of SIP and what it is used for? Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) is a protocol most commonly used in 3G telephony. Also known as VoIP communications, it allows users to communicate through voice and video calls for free on the internet.

According to SIP.US, SIP trunk has the same functions as traditional analog phone lines — but with a twist. Instead of using physical wires, it uses the internet to connect phone systems. Mostly, businesses that need multiple phone lines for their employees use this technology.

Benefits of Converting to SIP Trunking

Think about the use of traditional analog phone lines. A business owner would need to connect all his employees to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) individually.

SIP trunks remove the need for the complex IP-PSTN gateways and its corresponding costs. SIP trunks allow you to use the same IP network connection for a particular bandwidth that you can choose to increase in small increments based on your needs. This removes the need to purchase in blocks of 24 or 32. You only pay for the trunks you need. This also means it’s easier to scale up or down depending on your business needs. Most SIP trunk providers would even allow a bunch of connected phones to a single PBX or key system. Offices can also make savings on telecommunication costs, especially on long distance calls.

Considerations

SIP trunking is great, but there are still some considerations you need to think about. When you use SIP for your phone lines, you are putting your phone system on the internet. This admittedly is not the safest place to be without proper precautions. So, you need to make sure that you have the right firewall installed. Avoid malicious attacks, such as theft and fraud.

SIP trunks eat bandwidth. So the more phone calls your employees make, the more data bandwidth you need. Verify with your SIP provider that their service is compatible with your IP PBX and if they support fax.

In Summary

SIP trunking can significantly reduce your telecommunication costs. You only need to pay for the trunks you need. However, there are certain things that you need to take into consideration. These include security, how much bandwidth your business needs, and the compatibility of your infrastructure with your SIP provider.

Like in almost every part of modern-day life, technology is now revolutionizing the agriculture sector in Australia. It offers new ideas and innovative alternatives to traditional farming practices that result in better use of resources, greater harvests and a more profitable industry.

Here are a few innovations to farming equipment that is breaking new ground in the agricultural sector.

Drone Mapping

Farm owners can now determine if their crops are having health issues or under stress using drones. Drones can conduct normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) – a method of mapping that determines if an area contains live vegetation or not.

Although the use of NDVI has been possible through aeroplane and satellite surveillance for over a decade now, drones allow the user to gather a more detailed resolution. In fact, they can provide information on areas that are accurate down to the centimetre, as opposed to the limited metre reading that satellite and aeroplane surveillance offers. Furthermore, they are also faster and cheaper.

This use of drones will enable farmers to make accurate and data-driven decisions.

Remote-Controlled Tractor

Tractors and other farming vehicles are gradually making the jump to remote-controlled operation. The cameras, radars and sensors on a tractor allow the farmer to remotely operate it from a control room or on a tablet.

Because of the automated and remote-controlled upgrades, some tractors can run for more than 20 hours a day. This kind of production output from expensive farming equipment is extremely valuable during harvest season.

Hi-Tech Field Sensors

Using high technology field sensors can help farmers optimise their harvest. One farm in Tasmania is using hundreds of these sensors in its black-soil fields, in fact. They monitor the microclimate of almost all its lettuce. In turn, the owner can accurately grow the best quality of lettuce and project their ideal picking time.

Lastly, the sensors can help improve the shelf life of harvests, reduce waste and boost the overall sales.

Technology is slowly improving every aspect of the agricultural sector, from making the produce inspection process more convenient to enabling an autonomous harvesting method. It will continue to modernise the industry over the years.

Advances in technology spell a healthy future for players in the manufacturing sectors. Evolving technology translates into a need to create new machines. Changing market demands call for faster and more efficient devices that meet specific consumer needs. As such, you need to update your production process to keep abreast with the latest technologies and remain competitive.

Keep Production Lines in Good Order

Machine failure can have your entire production systems halting, causing you to incur massive losses. Regular maintenance keeps the plant running in good condition and increases the lifespan of your machinery. For quick repairs, Herrick Industrial Supply recommends ordering some milling parts online. That way, you save time and avoid unnecessary delays in meeting customer needs.

Understand the Market

Consumer preferences evolve alongside technology, and as such, you need to keep an eye on the implications on your business. Changes in consumer trends affect the kind of machines you need. You don’t want to stick to old technology that provides lower quality products. Proper market research lets you meet and anticipate the needs of your clients to give you an edge. It also helps to focus your production lines on the goods that are in demand.

Avoid Overstocking

With new technology hitting the market every now and then, you may want to reduce the amount of stock in the store. Better yet, you should overhaul your production process to reflect this reality. Manufacture on demand is proving to be an efficient approach. Rather than holding stock, you can restrict your production effort to when clients place an order. That way you don’t tie too much capital in dead stock that takes much of you precious storage space.

Staying competitive in a changing market takes quite some effort and preparation. Making the necessary changes enables you to meet customer needs and grow your sales.

Variable speed technology has changed the entire HVAC industry. Today, variable speed has become an industry standard. Although non-variable speed options still exist, a bulk of HVAC sales includes products with this feature.

What is Variable Speed?

Variable speed technology involves a motor control drive connecting to the compressor of an HVAC system. A line power is then connected from the utility to the drive. Using frequency modulation, the motor control drive adjusts the power output of the compressor, ultimately controlling the speed of the motor depending on the HVAC load of an area.

Different Speeds at Different Times

With the varying compressor speeds allowed by variable speed technology, you can program your HVAC system to cool or heat your home at different temperatures throughout the day. For example, when no one is at home, you can program the HVAC to ease off on the heating or cooling to save on energy consumption.

More Energy Cost Savings

You can also enjoy significant savings when you have a unit with variable speed technology. It allows your HVAC system to run more efficiently. With more efficiency, you will be able to save up on energy costs at home. In fact, you could even save as much as forty percent of your typical annual energy costs.

Challenges to Variable Speed

Variable speed brings along with it challenges as well. For one, HVAC systems with variable speed are more expensive than one-speed systems. You could hesitate in purchasing a variable speed HVAC system because of this. However, variable speed entails you to have the knowledge to understand its maintenance and installation needs.

The Future of HVAC

In spite of the previous challenges, industry leaders predict that variable speed will only dominate the HVAC landscape all the more in the years to come. In fact, variable speed systems may be the only products available in the future.

As you pick an HVAC system in any city in Arkansas, such as Little Rock, the heating and air service unit you need to choose should be the one that fits your needs. However, with a variable speed unit, the features are worth the expense.

Cost estimating in a construction project is crucial. As a beginner to the construction industry, whether you are building residential, commercial, or industrial, you need the right tools or aids for your cost estimating. Of course, you can do the cost estimating manually, but manual methods take time. Clients give you only limited time frames to complete the cost estimating.

Two Contenders

With an upcoming deadline, you have two options to finish produce your estimates. You can either use a cost estimating software or hire estimators that can lend you their expertise and experience. Each has their own share of good and bad.

Software Strengths

Cost estimating software can help you meet client deadlines by providing immediate estimates. Basic features of such software include takeoff construction tools, cost databases implanted in the software, and estimate calculations of varying detail. In choosing a software, you can consider pricing, user experience, and what you need from the software.

Software Weaknesses

Downsides of software include the fact that the estimates the software calculates will rely on the information you input. You will have to make sure the information you have is accurate. You cannot also rely too much on the integrated cost databases of the software since costs can change over time.

Estimator Benefits

To cover for the faults of cost estimating software, you can turn to cost estimators. Cost estimators know how to use software in conjunction with their expertise and experience. Great estimators have characteristics such as knowledge of engineering drawings, expertise in construction methods and materials, and so on.

Estimator Faults

Conversely, cost estimators can also make mistakes and misjudgments during the process. They may forget to make a site visit or read a vital document for the project. They may also fail to verify the final result of an estimate.

In conclusion, which is better: the software or the estimator? From the previous details, both seem to complement each other, with you presiding over both.

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